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Penn State Lehigh Valley Admission Requirements

Center Valley, Pennsylvania

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Your chances of getting into Penn State Lehigh Valley

Admission Rate & Difficulty

Percent Admitted 

94.1%
Admission Difficulty for Penn State Lehigh Valley
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Average 
Applicant Competition Very Low 

Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate at Penn State Lehigh Valley is 94.1%.  Its admission rate is the 105th lowest in Pennsylvania.

Admission Selectivity

How hard is it to get into Penn State Lehigh Valley and can you get accepted?

Penn State Lehigh Valley is an easy school to get into and you have a very good chance of acceptance if you meet the admission criteria. Last year, 1,699 out of the 1,806 who applied were admitted.

Penn State Lehigh Valley typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.42. 16% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

Can you get into Penn State Lehigh Valley?

94% are accepted, can you get in? Use the admission calculator to see if you have the grades and test scores needed to get in. See your admission chances based on your extracurriculars, intended major, background, and more.

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Admission Requirements in Brief

To have the best chance of getting into to Penn State Lehigh Valley you should:

  • Have a high school GPA of 3.42 or better
  • Earn B+ grades in high school
  • Score 1200 on the SAT
  • Score 24 on the ACT

Penn State Lehigh Valley GPA

GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 

3.42*

Typical High School Grades 

B+

What GPA do you need to get into Penn State Lehigh Valley?

GPA Requirements

The GPA requirements for getting into Penn State Lehigh Valley are to have around a 3.42 high school GPA. You are required to have above average high school grades.

If your high school grades are above the average 3.42 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as Penn State Lehigh Valley accepts 94% of applicants.

Average GPA

The average unweighted GPA at Penn State Lehigh Valley is 3.42 on the 4.0 scale. To achieve the average GPA for admission, you need to earn B+ letter grades and regularly score around 87-89 percent on tests and assignments in high school.  The school ranks #64 in Pennsylvania for highest average GPA.

Importance of GPA

Since Penn State Lehigh Valley is a test optional college, extra focus will be placed on your GPA when the school considers your application. As a result, it is very important that you meet the GPA requirements.

See additional colleges accepting applicants in the 3.4 GPA range.

*This school has not published high school GPA data for its incoming freshman class. In these cases, CollegeSimply uses an algorithm to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of college GPA data. 3.42 is a prediction of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

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Penn State Lehigh Valley SAT Scores

Testing Requirements

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to Penn State Lehigh Valley. If you optionally submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 29% of students submitted SAT scores and 3% submitted ACT scores for admission for the most recent academic year..

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 

1100-1290

Applicants Submitting SAT 

29%
SAT Scores for Penn State Lehigh Valley
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
Reading 25th Percentile 540
Math 25th Percentile 560
Composite 25th Percentile 1100
SAT Scores for Penn State Lehigh Valley
SAT Test 75th Percentile Score
Reading 75th Percentile 640
Math 75th Percentile 650
Composite 75th Percentile 1290
Average SAT Score 1200

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for you to be admitted to Penn State Lehigh Valley?

Average Score & Range

The average SAT score at Penn State Lehigh Valley is 1200 out of 1600 and the range for the middle 50% of accepted students is 1100-1290. Students who get into Penn State Lehigh Valley score in the top 41 percent of all SAT test takers..  Penn State Lehigh Valley ranks #32 in the state of Pennsylvania for highest average SAT composite score.

Score for Acceptance

You should target scoring 1200 or above to be most competitive with other applicants. Penn State Lehigh Valley regularly admits students with SAT scores down to 1100 on a 1600 scale. However, three quarter of admitted students score higher. If you score below a 1100, admission should be considered a reach. Some students may be accepted with minimum SAT's as low as 1000, but scores this low are outside the normal range.

Score Submission Requirements

Penn State Lehigh Valley is a test optional school meaning do not have to submit SAT scores with your application. The position on SAT scores from the college is "not required for admission, but considered if submitted (test optional)".

View other colleges which accept students in the 1200 SAT score range.

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2022 starting class

Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

The table below outlines your predicted admission chances based on SAT score alone. If you are an average applicant with a score of 1195, you have around a 94% chance of being admitted. A 1290 places you well ahead of most other applicants and gives you about a 97% chance of getting in.

Penn State Lehigh Valley admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1290 and Above Good >97%
1195 to 1290 Avg + 94%-97%
1100 to 1195 Avg - 89%-94%
1005 to 1100 Reach 81%-89%
Less than 1005 Low <81%
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Penn State Lehigh Valley ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 

22-26 

Applicants Submitting ACT 

3%
ACT Scores for Penn State Lehigh Valley
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
Reading 25th Percentile 20
Math 25th Percentile 21
Composite 25th Percentile 22
ACT Scores for Penn State Lehigh Valley
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
Reading 75th Percentile 23
Math 75th Percentile 29
Composite 75th Percentile 26
Average ACT Score 24

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for students to get into Penn State Lehigh Valley?

Score Range

The average ACT score for admitted students to Penn State Lehigh Valley is 24, while the middle 50% of students (25th to 75th percentile) score between a 22 and 26.  The school ranks #46 in Pennsylvania for highest average ACT composite score.

Score for Acceptance

For the best chance of admission, you should have an ACT of 24. This will place you in solid competition against other applicants. At a minimum, you should aim for a 22 and score in the score in the top 37 percent nationally. The lowest ACT score likely to be admitted is a 20.

3 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Score Submission Requirements

You do not have to to submit ACT scores with your application as Penn State Lehigh Valley is test optional. The policy from the school on ACT scores is "not required for admission, but considered if submitted (test optional)".

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2022 starting class

Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Here are your predicted chances of getting into Penn State Lehigh Valley for different ACT score ranges. A typical applicant with a 24 score has around 94% chance of getting in. Your odds increase to about 97% with a 26 ACT score.

Penn State Lehigh Valley admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
26 and Above Good >97%
24 to 26 Avg + 94%-97%
22 to 24 Avg - 89%-94%
20 to 22 Reach 81%-89%
Less than 20 Low <81%
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Applying

Admission Statistics

Admission and enrollment rates by gender are detailed the the table below.

Penn State Lehigh Valley admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 841 960 1,806
Accepted 788 906 1,699
Acceptance Rate 94% 94% 94%
Enrolled 91 171 267
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 12% 19% 16%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2022 starting class

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to Penn State Lehigh Valley is $65.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to Penn State Lehigh Valley and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Penn State Lehigh Valley Application Requirements
Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
High School GPA Required to be considered for admission
High School Class Rank Not considered for admission, even if submitted
Completion of College Preparatory Program Not required for admission, but considered if submitted
Recommendations Not considered for admission, even if submitted
Demonstration of Competencies Not considered for admission, even if submitted

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at Penn State Lehigh Valley
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences No

Admission Requirements Summary

Because Penn State Lehigh Valley is lightly competitive to get into, you have a very good chance of acceptance with the right GPA and test scores. If you have a 3.42 GPA, you are almost certain to getting in. Combining this with an SAT score of 1200 and ACT of 24 will almost guarantee your admission.

Other Colleges to Apply To 

Students applying to Penn State Lehigh Valley often consider these colleges

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=214670 IPEDS survey data for Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Last updated February 24, 2024